Traveling: This Is Life!
Luca’s only problem? The minute he gets back from one trip, all he can think about is taking off again for another. For Matteo, traveling means growing: going forward becomes a must. Life brings them together, and you already know how it ends up: on their motorcycles! Riding their Kawasakis, heading east, they follow their travelers’ instinct, choosing their itinerary day by day according to their desire to explore, staying overnight at free campsites, with local families, and at hostels, following their spirit of adventure. They arrive in Croatia and, attracted by its beauties, they travel it far and wide: Senj, Plitvice, Trogir, Split, Dubrovnik. With a stopover at Mostar, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, recommended by another motorcycle traveler. After all, life changes on the basis of the encounters we make… traveling on two wheels!
Six Days in Croatia
From Trieste we pass Slovenia and arrive in Croazia. At Senj we ride under a pelting rain. The weather is gray, but before nightfall we see a star: the light of the campsite where we stop to sleep. The next morning we head inland. After 100 km of paved and dirt roads, we arrive at the Nature Park of Plitvice. We get off our bikes to explore the magic of these fascinating places on foot, amidst lakes, brooks, and waterfalls nestled in the greenery. Gorgeous! After a dream-filled night, we take to the road again and head for Trogir, one of the most beautiful towns in Dalmatia. The historic center of Trogir is a UNESCO World Heritage site. For the night, we find a hostel and, the next morning, we discover the local Yamaha dealer just 50 meters away: the owner is an expert motorcycle traveler who gives us a lot of advice, and repairs the broken windshield of one of the Kawasakis. Fantastic! There are only 30 km left before ending the day in Split; we travel them wearing our technical jackets to protect us from the strong wind.
When we arrive in Split, we park along the seafront, and go to visit the town. We see the statue of Gregory of Nin, the famous Palace of Diocletian, the underground tunnel, and the shore, where people get together for dinner. The evening is a delightful way to end the day. The next day we make a stop at Mostar, in Bosnia and Herzegovina. 200 km of easy and winding country roads, then the first mosques, the houses still marked with the scars of war, and the splendid Old Bridge over the River Narenta. We are guests of some local people for the night. The next morning, we take advantage of the convenient prices to fill up our fuel tanks, and head off for Dubrovnik. The city has a fantasy world atmosphere: it’s no surprise they chose it as the location for “Game of Thrones”. The Gate, the Stradun crossing the city, the Church of St. Blaise, the Rector’s Palace… There could be no better setting for the finale of our fantastic trip by motorbike in Croatia!
The protagonists
Luca Facheris and Matteo Barbierato: Two young men from Bergamo riding Kawasaki KLE 500s
The protagonists
Luca Facheris and Matteo Barbierato: Two young men from Bergamo riding Kawasaki KLE 500s
Luca, 24 years old, is a mechanic, and for 5 years has also been working as a freelance photographer and video maker. A great fan of adventure trips, he has gained experience traveling through a number of countries on the road. His style is “slow travel”: traveling slow, taking it long and easy. Matteo, 21 years old, is a worker-student with a degree in languages. A fan of motorcycling and extreme sports, he loves to document all his activities with his amateur video-maker’s action camera: on his motorcycle, bike, snowboard, excursions and trips. In addition to his Kawasaki, he also has a KTM EXC 300.
Motorcycle equipment
The two Kawasaki KLE 500s have a E251 rear plate, a 42-liter Trekker Outback aluminum top-case, PL01CAM support frame, a pair of 37-liter Trekker Outback aluminum side cases with E145 reflective stickers, on top of which are mounted GRT702 waterproof cargo bags, a GRT705 waterproof tank bag, two TAN01 auxiliary jerry cans, S350 trekker straps for fastening, D410ST windshield, S320 auxiliary LED fog lamps, and STF500S flask.
Matteo and Luca wear GIVI X.16 Voyager helmets.
The two Kawasaki KLE 500s have a E251 rear plate, a 42-liter Trekker Outback aluminum top-case, PL01CAM support frame, a pair of 37-liter Trekker Outback aluminum side cases with E145 reflective stickers, on top of which are mounted GRT702 waterproof cargo bags, a GRT705 waterproof tank bag, two TAN01 auxiliary jerry cans, S350 trekker straps for fastening, D410ST windshield, S320 auxiliary LED fog lamps, and STF500S flask.
Matteo and Luca wear GIVI X.16 Voyager helmets.
Videos
